Tangled Up In Blue
by Socket-58
Summary: Boxing Day takes an unexpected turn for Jo and Sam.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Jo Masters/Sam Nixon

**Spoilers:** Episode 375 (Christmas episode)

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, the characters don't belong to me, nor does the title (it's the property of Bob Dylan). No infringement intended.

**A/N:** Fem slash ahead; avert your eyes if it's not your thing.

**Tangled Up In Blue**

Jo turned her desk lamp on and sat down. She looked about the deserted office and suddenly felt very alone. She sighed. This was not how she imagined spending Boxing Day but she and Tess had got into another fight.

This time it had ended with Tess throwing a plate of brussel sprouts at her; the plate had missed her by inches and smashed against the kitchen wall. Jo tried to lighten the mood with humour but Tess was beyond that – she was crying and yelling and when she reached for the Christmas pudding, Jo took flight.

Master's had returned to the office because she couldn't think of anywhere else to go. It was cold, so she kept her jacket on. Her gaze fell on the 'two for the price of one' bottles of wine Phil had generously given her and she smiled – if she was going to be denied Christmas dinner and a warm bed then she was bloody well going to get hammered and blot this awful day out!

She fetches a coffee cup and returns to her desk. She unscrews the lid of one of the wine bottles – a screw top, not exactly a sign of a high quality wine, but it's better than nothing, so she fills her cup and sips it.

She winces at the taste. "Not bad!" she mocks.

"What isn't?" comes a voice from the door.

Startled, Jo looks across the room to see Sam Nixon standing there.

"The cheap wine that Phil bought me." Jo replies. She eyes the petite blonde, then says. "What brings you here at this time of night? On Boxing Day no less?"

"I could ask you the same question," Nixon replies defensively.

"Well, I had a domestic with the old ball-and-chain," explains Jo.

Sam smiles, her guard dropping. "I had a row with Abbey, then decided to catch-up on some paperwork - give her some space to clear her head."

Jo leans forward in her seat. "Uh, correct me if I'm wrong but you're the parent – if she's in a strop, shouldn't it be her leaving to give you some space?"

Sam steps into the office, the door swinging shut behind her. "I can tell you don't have kids!" she retorts.

Jo leans back in her seat, unsure whether to be offended. Then decides that she's wasted too much time being hostile to Sam Nixon in the past and, after all, it is the season to be jolly, so she opts for goodwill instead.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" Jo offers.

Sam looks steadily at Jo, regretting that she'd been so snappish – it wasn't Jo's fault that Abbey was being a pain-in-the-arse. "Why not? It's gotta be better than paper work."

"Uh, don't get your hopes up – it's not that good! It has a biting aftertaste!"

Nixon pulls up a chair beside Jo's desk while Masters stands and fetches another coffee cup. Jo retakes her seat and fills Sam's mug to the top. They grin at each other and raise their cups in the air.

"To dysfunctional families," Sam toasts.

They clink coffee cups and drink.

"Ugh!" Sam pulls a face and shakes her head to dispel the vial taste.

Jo laughs at the blonde's reaction. "I did warn you!"

Sam looks into Jo's eye's, shining with amusement, and holds out her cup for a top-up. Impressed at Sam's determination, Jo refill's the blonde's cup and then her own. They both sip more slowly this time.

There's a long silence.

Jo, who never runs out of things to say, suddenly can't think of anything to say. She doesn't have much in common with Nixon apart from their both being workaholics… aside from that, outside of cases, they never talk much.

"It's freezing in here," Sam mutters.

Jo nods, hoping that this wouldn't lead into a conversation about the weather they'd been having lately. She'd had her fill of weather talk with Tess's relatives earlier today. She can't face it again so she decides to steer the conversation. "So what was your fight with Abbey about?"

Sam visible tenses, she grips the handle of the coffee cup tighter, her knuckles white from the strain.

Jo takes a sip of wine and wishes she'd gone with the '_Yes it is freezing in here - it's terrible weather we're having lately, isn't it?_' instead.

"It was about the baby," Sam confesses. "We were making plans for what would happen when it arrives… and uh, we disagreed about some things, which lead to a blazing row."

Taken back by Sam's candour, Jo felt a wave of compassion towards her… after all, she had been through so much with Abbey - Jo didn't know all the details but she'd heard more than enough through the office gossip grapevine.

"I'm sure you'll work it out. Like you said, she just needs some head space - she'll come round in the end," Jo says confidently, trying to reassure her.

"But what if she doesn't? She has no idea what it's like to raise a child – she has all these illusions of what it will be like when the baby's born. I'll be there to support her, of course I will – but I can't raise the baby for her… and I don't want to spoil her excitement about it all, but I want her to be prepared, to be ready for the realities that motherhood entails. But she thinks I'm trying to run her life, telling her what to do, ignoring what she wants… but I'm not – I'm just trying to protect her."

A few tears stream down Sams cheek. She looks so vulnerable, so afraid, that Jo is moved and reaches out, covering Sam's hand with hers. "Abbey will know that soon enough. When she holds that baby in her arms for the first time she'll understand what you feel for her, she'll see that you were just trying to do what was best."

Drawing her hand away from Jo's, Sam wipes away her tears, suddenly feeling embarrassed by her lack of restraint. She sniffs and searches her pockets for a tissue but can't find one.

Jo pulls a tissue from her jacket pocket and holds it out to Nixon.

Sam smiles gratefully. "Thanks," she says as she dabs her eyes dry and blows her nose.

"Any time," Jo replies. This was definitely not the Boxing Day she was expecting.

Sam takes a steadying breath and leans back in her chair. She gazes at Jo for a moment, then says. "What did you and Tess fight about?"

Jo meets Sam's eyes. "We argued about a goose," she replies solemnly.

Sam laughs, then covers her mouth. "Sorry," she apologises.

Jo smiles. "It's alright – it was a daft fight!"

"How did it start?" Sam asks, intrigued.

"Well, after promising Tess that I was all hers on Christmas day, that work wouldn't interfere - I got called out and spent the day in a grotty, cold, rat-infested, damp building on a surveillance assignment with Phil – and, to top it off, I was shot at… It was gone midnight by the time I got home and I was knackered, so we decided to celebrate Christmas Day on Boxing Day instead… Today Tess reheated the Goose and veg, and as we sat down to eat, I started to reminisce about past Christmases at home and mentioned that Mum always cooked chicken for Christmas dinner, as a tradition - next thing I know, brussel sprouts are whizzing past my head and she's yelling '_Well I cooked goose! I can't get anything right, can I? I slaved all day cooking and you go cavorting off - that place always comes first, I'm sick of it!_' When she picked up the Christmas pudding and aimed it in my direction, I left."

Sam gave her buxom colleague a sympathetic look. "I know that tune, sounds like the fights I've had with several boyfriends right before the relationship ended."

Jo peers into her cup. "Sometimes it's such hard work, you know? It makes me think that I should either become celibate or find someone in the same line of business - someone who understands the demands of the job."

Sam nods in accordance, then notices her cup is empty, she reaches across the desk for the bottle of wine and accidentally knocks it onto the floor, the lid is loose and the wine spills out.

"Oh! Sorry!" Sam apologises, then seeing the anxious expression on Jo's face, she adds. "I'll buy you a replacement bottle."

"I'm not worried about that – I'm worried about the carpet, that wine might dissolve it!" Jo jokes.

Sam grins.

Jo pulls more tissue from her jacket pocket and crouches on the floor to mop up the spillage. Instantly, Sam gets out of her seat and crouches on the floor beside her, she tries to take the tissue from Jo's hand, saying; "Let me do that! It was my fault!"

"It's alright – I don't mind, really!" Jo insists.

They grapple over the tissue and in the struggle, end up holding hands. They both become still, neither let go. Sam's breathing becomes shallow and Jo can feel her heart thundering in her chest.

Several moments pass, their fingers stay entwined and then Sam releases Jo's hand. Instinctively, Nixon reaches for the other woman, pulling her closer. Their bodies press together, Jo wraps her arms around Sam's waist and their lips impact amid passion.

Overwhelmed by the heat of Jo's body against hers and the unexpected raw desire she feels, Sam pulls away abruptly.

They stare blankly at each other, unsure quite what has just happened.

Sam gets to her feet and takes a step back. "I'd uh, better get going… Abbey will be wondering where I am," she mumbles, then turns and makes a quick exit.

Jo stares after her, still reeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tangled Up In Blue (Part Two)**

Phil walks into the office to find Jo slumped across the desk, asleep. He moves beside her and eyes the empty bottle of wine in the paper basket next to her desk and observes that she's wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

He nudges her gently. "Rough night?" he asks, when she pries her eyes open.

"You could say that," Jo mumbles.

She hadn't attempted to return home, especially after sharing that kiss with Sam. Her head is all over the place - the passionate clinche with Sam had made her realise that any spark between her and Tess died a long time ago. She wants that sunburst feeling back, that surge of happiness; of longing… those are the feelings Sam brings out in her… while Tess stultifies them.

Without even realising it, she has fallen under the spell of Samantha Nixon's off-hand charm. Jo knows what she has to do; she must end it officially with Tess, but then what? Should she pursue Sam? She hadn't imagined last night – Sam's lips were pressed against hers, but did Nixon regret the kiss? She'd certainly scarpered fast enough, '_because she's straight_', Jo tells herself. Jo has already been through the painful experience of falling for a straight girl, at University, and she's not prepared to revisit that wound. Realising that she's getting ahead of herself, Jo decides to talk to Sam first - see where they stood and then take it from there.

Phil plonks a cup of coffee in front of her. "Get that down your neck," he says kindly.

"Thanks boss," she replies gratefully. She sips the steaming liquid and straightens herself out; her back is stiff from sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

Nixon walks into CID.

"Morning," Phil greets.

"Morning," Sam acknowledges and then smiles reservedly at Phil and Jo. She takes her customary seat and immerses herself in paperwork.

Phil continues to tease Jo about her sleeping arrangements but Jo's attention is fixed on Sam. Nixon doesn't look up once – fascinated by whatever she's reading. Anxiety kicks-in – this is exactly what Jo was afraid of – a hostile 'atmosphere' and she instinctively knows that she'll have to make the first move if she wants to clear the air between them - she can't be doing with awkward looks and uncomfortable silences from now on.

The words in front of Sam's eyes are swimming, she can't focus, all she can think of is the warmth of Jo's embrace and how readily her body had responded. When she got home last night Sam had convinced herself that she hadn't really felt all those things… but now, with Jo so close, she can't be sure… the only way to find out is to kiss Jo again, but she's terrified at the prospect – Jo is formidable at the best of times and she already has a girlfriend. Alright, so Jo and Tess were having problems, what couple didn't? What if she puts herself on the line and Jo rebuffs her because she wants to work things out with Tess? She'd look a prize prat then and they'd still have to work together… it would be unbearable.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nixon watches Phil and Jo chatting and joking and she feels a pang of envy, and something else… inadequacy. Why can't she be that relaxed and easy-going with Jo? Why does she always say the wrong thing? Why does she always become defensive? Then she thinks of last night… how well they had got along, how enjoyable and effortless it all had been… until she'd ruined it by kissing Jo.

Masters finishes her coffee, excuses herself from Phil and on her way to the ladies, to freshen-up; she stops at Sam's desk.

The blonde looks up, her bright eyes alert.

Jo's mouth feels dry as she gazes down into those piercing blue eyes. "I think we need to talk," she says in a low voice.

Sam's gaze never falters. "I think that's a good idea," she agrees.

Unsure whether to be relieved that her suggestion wasn't dismissed out-of-hand or concerned that she now feels giddy, Jo responds with. "How about meeting for lunch? In the office at one?"

Sam nods, her stomach muscles tighten and her pulse quickens at the prospect.

Jo walks out of the office; she has until lunch time to figure out what it is she wants to say, because right now, she doesn't have a clue.

Phil sits at his desk opposite Sam. "What was that covert little natter all about?" he quizzes his friend.

"Just girl talk," Sam answers and returns her attention to the file in front of her.

* * *

Nixon rushes up the stairs, it isn't one o'clock yet but she desperately wants to see Jo. She pushes through the swing doors and her heart sinks when she sees Jo's empty chair.

Sam sits at her desk and looks at the clock; 12:47. She'd just have to wait.

* * *

Lunchtime comes and goes and there's still no sign of Jo. Sam checks her mobile phone for the hundredth time - no calls. She checks her watch and then the clock on the wall. She munches discontentedly on her cheese and pickle sandwich. Obviously, their need to talk wasn't as important to Jo as it was to her. Clearly Jo has more pressing things to worry about and the longer Sam waits, the more ridiculous she feels… after all, she has Abbey and the baby to think about, does she really need to add an office love affair to the mix of her already complicated life?

She washes down her sandwich with a cup of luke-warm coffee and then Suzie approaches her.

"Ready?" Sim asks.

Nixon nods – she decides to focus on the task at hand – recommencing an interview with a suspected drugs dealer. Time to crack the whip.

As she and Suzie descend the stairs, Jo rushes through the main entrance to _Sun Hill_ station, looking flushed and harassed. She moves as if to speak to Sam but Nixon shoots her a warning glare that stops her in her tracks.

Suzie and Sam disappear through the interview doors and Jo takes a deep breath, completely aware that she's royally screwed things up.

Exhausted, Jo trails upstairs to CID and sits at her desk. It's all too much. She's had the worst morning – first an informant had mislead her, making her look a right prat in front of uniform, then she'd been knocked down by a suspect trying to escape – she could feel the bruises forming on her skin already and then - to top it off, she'd had Tess on the phone saying she had packed Jo's things and was going to put them out on the street if she didn't collect them immediately. So Jo had taken a detour to rescue her belongings… she would've just about made it back to the station in time to meet Sam but she'd got stuck in traffic and her mobile had died when she'd tried to call Sam to explain.

All in all, this was turning into the day from hell; and it wasn't over yet.

Phil, on the phone to a witness, studies her with concern. He covers the receiver. "You alright?"

Jo glances at him. "This could very well be the worst day of my life."

"Anything I can do?"

She smiles appreciatively at him. "Unfortunately not, but thanks for the offer."

He nods and returns to the phone conversation he was having before she walked in.

Jo closes her eyes. She'll have to call round her mates to see who can spare a sofa until she sorts something more permanent for herself. She picks up the phone and starts dialling.

* * *

Jo paces the corridor, waiting for Sam to immerge. A few more minutes pass and the door to Interview Room 3 opens. Suzie exits first, closely followed by Nixon who's surprised to see Jo waiting.

"Can I have a word, Serg?" requests Jo in a formal tone.

"I'll get onto forensics," Suzie informs Nixon and then leaves them alone.

"Sorry I missed lunch," Jo apologises. "Just let me explain - "

"That's alright," Sam interrupts; she folds her arms across her chest, her expression stern. "There wasn't much for us to discuss, was there? We kissed, obviously it was a mistake, and I think it's best that we don't dwell on it."

Thrown by Sam's aloofness, Master's finds herself at a loss. "Uh… I thought that, uh…"

"Lets consider the matter resolved, shall we? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," Sam says curtly and heads off down the corridor before Jo can get another word out.

* * *

It's the end of her shift and Nixon returns to CID's office and slumps down in her chair. For some reason her mind keeps wondering back to Jo and the look of hurt on her face when Sam had been unnecessarily brusque with her… why can't she reign her temper in where Jo is concerned? She knew why - she'd felt humiliated when Jo hadn't shown-up for lunch, like she'd been stood-up and she'd wanted to inflict an equal wound on Jo, but now she deeply regrets it.

"Shame about Jo, isn't it? Still, at least she won't get a hard time about working unsociable hours anymore," Phil says.

Sam peers at him over her computer screen. "What are you talking about?"

"Jo and Tess – they broke up," he informs her, then ponders this and feels momentarily guilty about dragging Jo out on Christmas day. Maybe he'd inadvertently contributed to their break-up…

Sam's eyes widen in surprise. "What?! When was this?"

Phil is taken back by Sam's response. "This morning," he answers.

A wave of nausea washes over Nixon and she curses herself - why hadn't she let Jo explain? Why had she bulldozed in and ruined everything?

Sam stands and grabs her coat. She needs some air, needs to think...

"Where are you going?" Phil asks as she heads for the door. "I thought we were having a drink?"

"Another time, yeah? There's something I have to do," Sam calls over her shoulder as she rushes out into the corridor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Spoilers: **Episode 376

**A/N:** Sorry I took so long updating - real life got in the way!

**Tangled Up In Blue (Part Three)**

The fresh air hit Sam as she exited _Sun Hill_ police station. She headed for her car when she heard Jo's voice behind her - she whirled around to see Tony helping Jo carry some boxes to her car.

Instinctively, Sam moved towards the two. Tony smiled at her approach. "Hi Sam."

Jo looked over her shoulder and scowled at Nixon.

"Hi," Sam returned and then focused her attention on Jo. "I thought you'd finished for the day," she said.

"I had a couple of things to collect," Masters replied curtly.

"I'll uh, I'll see you tomorrow, Jo." Tony said, sensing the tension between the two and wanting to escape before anything ugly kicked off. "Bye Sam."

"Thanks for you help mate," Jo called after Tony as he headed back into the station.

Sam eyed the boxes - she guessed they were filled with Jo's belongings.

Jo Masters secured the boxes on the back seat and slammed the door, ignoring Sam's presence.

Nixon watched Jo and felt like she was going to burst if she didn't fix this. "I'm sorry," Sam declared sincerely.

Jo straightened up and looked directly at Sam. "For what?" she asked tersely.

"For not listening when you tried to explain why you couldn't make lunch. I get blind-sided sometimes," Nixon said softly.

"Yeah, I noticed that."

Sam attempted a half smile. "I'm listening now... better late than never, that's what they say."

Jo studied Sam for a moment. "You don't make it easy."

"Make what easy?" Sam asked quizzically.

"Liking you," the dark-haired woman replied.

Sam stepped closer to Jo. "Do you like me?"

"Against my better judgement, yes I do."

They lock eyes and smile at each other.

"Jo, do you think that we could - " Sam began.

Suddenly overwhelmed with panic, Jo interrupts. "You know, it's late, I just broke-up with my girlfriend, things are strange right now..." she trailed off.

Sam looked hurt. "I was just going to say that we should go for a drink some time. No strings."

"Oh," Jo muttered, surprised at the extent of her disappointment. "A drink? That would be... nice."

"Sometime," Nixon reiterated. "No pressure!"

Jo smiled and exclaimed cheerfully. "Right you are, Sarg."

"Good then," Sam responded and took a step back.

Jo got into her car, rolled the window down and smiled up at Nixon. "Night."

"Night," Sam returned.

Masters drove out of _Sun Hill_'s car park, her eyes firmly on Nixon's slender figure in the rear view mirror until she faded out of sight.

* * *

Several days had passed and Jo found her mind wondering back to that night in the car park. Should she have been more forthcoming with Sam? Should she have tried to make a date there and then? Sam had said 'sometime' but had made no attempt to follow through on the invitation. Not that she'd seen much of Nixon over the last few days, the DS seemed to be continually out of the station.

Jo's frustration was compounded by the lack of sleep she'd been getting. She was still flat hunting and after three nights, Natalie's sofa was proving extremely uncomfortable. She had to find a place of her own and soon, she couldn't stand another sleepless night, lying awake, listening to noises from the street and thinking about Sam.

Then, to top it all off, today she was paired with DC Sim's. Jo hated working with Suzie - she had nothing against the girl on a personal level but professionally she found Sim's rigidity for the rules stifling. Jo needed room to manoeuvre, to think outside the box.

As they began work on the case, Sam started popping up around the office - making jokes, smiling, brushing against Jo and then put her in charge of the case… it made Jo's head swim. She was reading too much into Sam's behaviour; she must be.

* * *

As the day winded down, Jo decided to go straight home, collapse into her makeshift bed and forget about the whole tragic day. But she didn't get a chance, because Nixon suddenly breezed into CID, all smiles and blue eyes shining. She was so beautiful, it hurt just looking at her.

"Anyone fancy a drink? I'm buying, call it early New Year," Nixon offered the two DC's.

Jo wondered if this was the 'sometime' Sam had referred too and felt hurt that Suzie had been included in the invitation. Both Sim and Jo attempted to refuse, but Nixon was insistent and for the first time, Jo didn't want to argue with her. She was tired of fighting her instincts, so she followed as Sam led the way to the local pub.

* * *

The three of them sat at a table in the corner, they chatted shop for a good half hour, then Suzie decided to cram in some more revision for her Sergeants exam before the night was through. She excused herself, leaving Sam and Jo alone.

Nixon studied Jo's profile, the usually vibrant DC looked tired and stressed. "You've had a pretty rough day," Sam observed.

Jo nodded. "It was a tough case, really tough."

"Got that awful sense of frustration and hopelessness in the pit of your stomach? When you just want to drown it out."

"See," Jo declared, looking directly at Sam. "You get it. Tess never did."

"That's because I'm a copper too. We're cut from the same cloth."

Jo gazed at Sam, she's about to say something that she probably shouldn't when Nixon reaches for her bag.

"I meant to give you this earlier," Sam said and pulled out a bottle of wine.

Jo took the gift and grinned as she read the label. "You didn't have to do that, Sarg!"

"I owe you for the one I knocked over."

"Thanks," Jo said appreciatively. Then, without thinking, she kissed Sam's cheek.

As Jo put the bottle safely away, Sam studied her hands, unsure how to behave - she felt like a gangly teenager on a first date.

"So I hear that you and Tess..."

"We broke up," Jo intercepted, not really sure that she wanted to talk about it, especially with Sam. "It wasn't working, it hadn't been for a long time."

"Do you still have feelings for her?" Nixon pressed.

Jo contemplated this for a moment, then answered. "Yes, she was my friend... I'll miss that, and while the break-up is sad, Tess wasn't the one for me, I've known that for a while now. The last few months have been a blur of fights and resentment and, quite frankly, I'm relieved it's over - we were making each other miserable. I only hope she finds someone who appreciates her, I always seemed to take her for granted."

"I always think of you as being a hard-nut but you're quite sentimental really," Nixon remarked.

Jo glanced at the blonde. "Well, in the spirit of being honest - you're possibly the most stubborn woman I've ever met."

"High praise indeed!" Sam joked.

Jo laughed and then took a sip of her drink. "Stubbornness can be a good trait. For example, you stick to your guns, you fight for what you believe in and don't give up – that's very admirable."

Sam gazed at Jo. "I like that way of looking at it," and she smiled radiantly.

Jo felt a flood of tingles assault her senses, she needed to get out of here, get away from Sam and her intoxicating smile. Masters finished her drink quickly. "I'd better get a shift on. Natalie will start wondering where I am."

"I'll walk you," Sam offered.

Jo is about to argue when Nixon adds. "I'm the most stubborn woman you've ever met, remember? It'll save us both a lot of time and energy if you just concede defeat now."

Jo nodded. "Lets go."

* * *

They exited the pub and started their walk at a slow pace.

"Thanks for your support today," Masters stated.

"You're a great detective, Jo. Suzie could learn a lot from you if she stopped focusing on protocol so much."

Jo smirked. "She was driving me up the wall, until I found out the Sergeants exam was behind her protocol fixation!"

Sam feigned injury. "Oh, and there was I thinking only I could get under your skin!"

"Under my skin but not on my nerves. There's a difference."

They fell into silence.

Sam looked away. What was she getting herself into? Jo was on the rebound... wasn't she? And they were colleagues... it could get very messy if it didn't work out... but Sam hadn't felt like this about anyone for so long... just thinking about the kiss they'd shared on Boxing Day set her nerve endings ablaze.

"Here we are," Jo declared as they reached Natalie's front door.

"Well, I'll say goodnight then."

They faced each other and locked eyes. Slowly, they moved towards each other. When their bodies converged, Jo heard the hitch in Sam's breathing and smiled. She leaned forward and captured Nixon's lips, her hands ran nimbly up Sam's back and tangled in her hair.

Jo drew back to gage a reaction, was she moving too fast? But Sam's eyes shone back at her. Nixon draped her arms around Jo's neck, gently pulling her into another fervent kiss.

After several minutes their lips separated and they rested their foreheads together.

"Night then," Jo said breathlessly.

Samantha smiled. "Good night."

Jo pulled away and ascended the three steps to the front door. She took the house keys from her pocket and let herself in, taking one last look at the blonde before she closed the door.

Sam stared at the front door as it closed, wishing she could follow Jo inside and cover her body in kisses and caresses. Instead, Nixon turned her back on the house and started the short walk to her car; virtually floating down the street in a blissful haze.


End file.
